Sweet and Sour
by demongirl
Summary: Eight years after the crew graduated and Voldemort was defeated, things have calmed down, except for one thing - no one has seen the Boy-Who Lived since that final battle. Why did Harry disappear? Oh, and Draco's teaching DADA, so things at Hogwarts are a
1. The BoyWhoVanished

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry, Draco, or any other of J.K.R.'s wonderful creations. They're all hers and I make no money. (Hence the status of a poor college student).  
  
Summary: It's eight years after Harry and company's final year at Hogwarts. Voldemort was defeated in their seventh year and things in the wizarding world have slowly started getting back to normal. Except for one thing - no one has seen the Boy-Who-Lived since the final battle.  
  
Sweet and Sour  
  
How long had it been? The blonde now held Hogwarts' coveted Defense against the Dark Arts teaching position. He knew he wasn't Headmaster McGonagall's first choice, but it didn't matter. He had the job and was right now browsing through Knockturn Alley for things he could use to demonstrate in his class. The last time he had been here was when he was selling all his father's possessions. Lucius probably turned over in his grave at that, but it didn't matter, Lucius was dead. Draco strode through Knockturn Alley with an air on confidence vaguely reminiscent of his father, not even noticing the beggar he nearly tripped over.  
  
"Can you spare a sickle? A sickle for food?" pleaded the faint voice.  
  
"Bloody hell," Draco muttered a he stumbled over the man, if you could call him that from his frail body as he straightened his robes, almost missing the faint reply.  
  
"Ferret-boy."  
  
Draco froze. It was a name he hadn't heard since his school days. He turned and studied the figure that was now trying to slink away towards an alley.  
  
"Potter?" he asked incredulously as he followed the figure and pulled him up by the arm, dragging him quickly into an alley once he saw the people starting to gather around the commotion. Once hidden from view, he pushed the figure up against the wall relaxing when the other winced visibly from the pain of the impact. Draco stepped back and examined the figure in front of him. The hair was dark and messy, his face was sunken, and his bloodshot eyes a dull green. Could it? Draco stepped forward and lifted the hair from the person's face to reveal a mass of recent scratches and faintly visible beneath them, a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
Draco waited for a response as Harry stared blankly at the wall behind him.  
  
"For Merlin's sake, Harry! You could have told someone! Eight fucking years! Did it ever occur to you that we might care what happened to the Boy- Who-Lived? It's as if you were trying to outdo Him. Minerva will go ballistic - she'll have your head for worrying her so much, Hermione and them too, but they'll probably throw you a whole big feast-" "No," Harry whispered in response.  
  
"What?! You can't be serious, Potter? You can't just expect people not to throw a fuss that you're back, even Ginny was beginning to give up hope."  
  
"Let them, Draco," Harry replied in a soft emotionless voice. "It's better that way. Let them forget."  
  
Harry headed down the alley as Draco grabbed him by the arm, the blonde flinching as the brunette winced and gasped in pain. "Let me buy you lunch, we'll talk."  
  
"I'm fine, I don't need your charity."  
  
"You're starving, you were begging for money, you are obviously not fine. Now I'm buying you lunch or I'll announce that I've found Harry Potter."  
  
"They won't find me."  
  
"But they'll search harder. You can't run forever, Potter."  
  
"Who said I was running?"  
  
"Come on, let's go eat."  
  
"Only lunch, no more."  
  
"Fine."  
  
The two walked in silence to the tavern, Harry keeping to the shadows as much as possible until they got there.  
  
"Tom, is the upstairs room free?"  
  
"Sure is Prof. Malfoy. Shall I send up the usual?"  
  
"Make it two portions, a friend's joining me. And can you send up some ale as well?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
  
  
Reluctantly Harry followed Draco upstairs, trying not to reminisce about his Hogwarts days. Once Draco had closed the door, Harry glanced around the room nervously before asking, "Professor?"  
  
Draco smiled. "Defense against the Dark Arts. Headed into my second year. Remus retired just after you disappeared. I don't think he could take it with both you and Sirius gone. You were the first choice obviously. They sent Hedwig out numerous times."  
  
"What else?"  
  
"Minerva took over for Albus, Hermione's teaching transfig, Ginny's teaching charms, Ron's playing for the Chudley Canons finally, and Severus is still holding out at potions, as menacing as ever. Harry-"  
  
They were interrupted by knock at the door as Tom brought in the food and Harry quickly turned to face the wall.  
  
"Tom, could I have a room tonight?"  
  
"Of course," Tom said as he headed out the door. "Your usual one's free. I'll leave you and your friend if there's nothing else you'll be needing."  
  
"Thank you, Tom," Draco replied as the tavern owner left the room, leaving the two former classmates alone.  
  
"Harry-"  
  
"Don't, please. Can't we just eat in peace?"  
  
Draco nodded as he observed Harry. He wanted to owl Minerva, but he knew if he left that Harry would be gone long before he came back. He wondered what had happened in those past five years that had turned Gryffindor's Golden Boy into a recluse and a beggar. Didn't Harry have a fortune stored in Gringotts? The Daily Prophet would pay a fortune to tell the story of Harry's return, but he couldn't let them know. There must have been a reason why Harry never let anyone know, if only he could find out what it was.  
  
A loud crash jolted him out of his thoughts and he looked up to find Harry's body on the floor convulsing and faint incoherent mumblings uttering from his lips. Draco rushed over to Harry's side - what the hell was going on, was this a flashback of some sort?  
  
"Harry! Come on, Harry, talk to me," he said, his voice laced with worry as he gently shook the brunette. When Harry's eyes finally met his after a few minutes, Draco froze. He had long thought that the scariest thing he had ever seen was Voldemort's face, but that paled in comparison to the green eyes he was staring into. Eyes that had seen their loved ones murdered, eyes that had stared down Voldemort and killed him, eyes that looked through you, that penetrated your soul and that were simultaneously full of pain and devoid of everything. Draco shivered before he finally spoke.  
  
"Harry."  
  
Harry looked at Draco, as he studied him almost as though he were trying to remember where he was when suddenly he scrambled to his feet and ran out the door, pulling his tattered cloak tight around himself. Draco rushed after him, but by the time he reached the street, the Boy Who Lived was nowhere to be found.  
  
"FUCK!"  
  
  
  
A/N: There will be more to come, but reviews are always appreciated. *hint hint* 


	2. The Search continues

Disclaimer: same as always, none of it belongs to me, except the plot bunnies. Sweet and Sour - The Search Begins   
  
Draco asked around the streets surrounding the Leaky Cauldron, trying to find out if anyone had seen Harry, but no one had. Slowly he headed back into the tavern with his head hanging before going up to his room. He ran his hand through his hair as he sat on the bed. This was not how things were supposed to go. He had been planning to just pick up supplies for his Defense against the Dark Arts classes, maybe spend the night and then head back to Hogwarts for the upcoming term. But now, he had to find Harry, he had to at least get some answers. Quickly grabbing a piece of parchment, he dipped his quill in ink as he sat down to write a quick note. Minerva, Something here has come up and I won't be coming back to Hogwarts tomorrow morning as planned. Hopefully I should be back in a few days and I'll explain everything upon my return. -D.M.  
  
Calling for his owl Adonis, he sent the letter off to Hogwarts and took a sip of Brandy from the decanter on the table before pulling on his cloak. Locking the door to his room, he left the Leaky Cauldron and headed back out into Diagon Alley. T was less crowded now, as people were already heading home. After doing a quick sweep of Diagon Alley and asking if people had seen a beggar anywhere, he headed to Knockturn Alley. He wasn't counting on finding Harry in the same spot, but Knockturn Alley would certainly offer more protection and a smaller chance of being recognized for Harry. After searching for three hours and coming up with nothing, he was ready to give up. Harry had managed to disappear again. He wondered briefly whether Harry still had his invisibility cloak, but then remembered it had been among the items in Harry's trunk and that Ron had held onto it. He sighed and leaned against the wall when a thought came into his head. What if Harry had gone to muggle London? Harry had been wearing a cloak, but there were enough seedy areas in London, where he would blend in with the homeless. But there was still the question of how had Harry gotten in or out of Diagon Alley without a wand. He knew Harry's wand had been left at the final battle. Draco remembered going there at the end of the battle and finding McGonagal and Hermione already there. Voldemort's body was lying there, dead and slightly mangled, along with two wands, but there was no sign of Harry. Hermione was kneeling on the ground and crying, her hands running over Harry's wand. Ron had thrown a fit and punched Draco when he had joined them a few minutes later. It was unthinkable, Voldemort had disappeared and there was sign of Harry. The Aurors searched for months, and after six months, the search was officially called off and Harry was declared MIA and most likely dead. There were numerous theories going around about what had happened - the most popular being that a portkey was involved. But no amount of locator spells could find Harry, not even his dead body. It was Harry's disappearance that had brought Draco into a closer friendship with the Gryffindors. They had all fought side by side in the final battle and Ron eventually began to see Draco as something besides an insufferable Slytherin git. The childhood rivalry gradually faded and Ron even consented to letting Draco date Ginny. It had only lasted for a year before they both realized that it was mostly a comfort and attraction thing, but they remained close friends. The Ministry had put up a monument to Harry a few years ago and written that the date of the final battle was the day that Harry died. That had been a hard blow for all of them and Draco knew that even Ginny had been losing hope. Among the survivors at Hogwarts, it was a topic that was not discussed. None of them wanted to admit that Harry was actually dead, but at the same time, they all knew that it was futile to keep hoping. No one wanted to admit that Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived was gone for good. But Draco had seen him today, or at least the remnants of him, and it scared him more than anything else.  
  
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Draco left Diagon Alley and headed into muggle London. He'd been dragged to see the sights by Hermione and Ginny various times and by now knew his way around fairly well. He headed for the seedier side of the city as he began asking around some of the homeless people if they'd seen a guy about my age, thin and lanky, black hair and green eyes. Every neighborhood he tried, he came up empty handed. He went in to a café to try and get sme tea when he remembered he didn't have any muggle money on him. Cursing himself, he headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron, barely aware of the fact that the sun was already starting to come up. " 'Morning, professor, you didn't come in last night. I was gett'n worried. Can I get you a cup of tea or would you care for something stronger?" Draco sat down at the bar and looked up at Tom, "Just tea. Thanks." A few minutes later, Tom came back with a steaming cup of Earl Grey and placed it in front of Draco. "Oh, I almost forgot, someone dropped this off for you late last night - must 'ave been nearing 4 o'clock I reckon." Draco looked at the folded piece of paper Tom handed him. "Proffesor Malfoy" was scribbled across the front. He opened it and began to read the messy handwriting.  
  
Yesterday was a mistake. It's best for everyone if you just forget what happened. Give up your search - I don't intend to be found. Things are better that way.   
  
He read it three times before looking up at Tom. "Who brought this?" Tom. "Don't know, professor, we was pretty full last night. Just found it on the bar when I was cleaning up. Figured I'd just give it to you. It's nuthin bad, is it?" Draco shook his head, "No. It's just. Tom, you didn't happen to see my friend last night did you? He ran off in a hurry, saying he had something to do and said he might drop by later on." "Haven't seen 'im, sorry. I was hoping I'd get to meet 'im too, you seemed pretty happy to see 'im." "I was." Draco said absentmindedly as he fingered the letter, "It's been a long time since I've seen him. You'll let me know if he comes by, won't you?" "Of course, professor. Will you be wantin' breakfast or anything?" "No, I think I'm just going to go upstairs and take a nap," Draco responded as he headed upstairs, clutching his tea drowsily. As he opened the door, he saw Adonis sitting on the windowsill with a letter tied to his foot. Walking over, Draco placed the cup on the desk as he untied the letter and scratched Adonis under the chin. He sat down on the bed as he opened the letter, which he assumed was from Minerva.   
  
Draco- I do hope that nothing is wrong. Take as much time as you need, hopefully we will see you here in the next few days as the term is starting soon. Don't hesitate to write if you need anything. -Minerva McGonagal Headmistress  
  
He put Minerva's letter aside and went back to Harry's. It seemed to be written in charcoal or something, he couldn't quite figure it out. The handwriting seemed to belong to Harry though, and obviously eight years who knows where hadn't done anything to improve Harry's handwriting. Draco couldn't follow Harry's instructions, he had to find Harry again. He stifled a yawn as he leaned back, muttering a spell to close the curtains. He'd be able to think more clearly in the morning. Author's note: to all who reviewed - you made my day! I'll try to churn these out and post them as soon as I can. 


	3. The Truth about Harry and Sirius

Disclaimer: same as always, none of it belongs to me, except the plot bunnies. Warnings: This chapter contains character death, cutting, suicidal thoughts, torture, rape, and the like. Parts of it are relatively dark. But I've written worse. To lighten the mood, I have thrown in some relative fluff. Kids, don't try any of this at home.  
  
Sweet and Sour Chapter Four - The truth about Harry (and Sirius)  
  
Harry stared out at the ocean, getting lost in his thoughts as he listened to the waves crashing against the rocks. This was where he felt at home, with nature's fury. He chuckled dryly to himself. It would be back to begging again, but somewhere else. Somewhere far away where no one would find him, where he would be just another nameless beggar and not the fucking Boy-Who-Lived. He hated that title more than anything else, and when Malfoy had used it - he shuddered.  
  
Malfoy. When he saw him today, for the first time in years, it brought back to too many memories. And then the flashback - why, of all times did he have to have one in front of Malfoy? Was the universe out to get him? His fingers pulled the switchblade out of his pockets and stared at the silver blade. Was it back to this again? After the years of torture, he had gotten used to pain and it took so much for him to feel anything. He pulled up his tattered sleeves and looked at the wide array of scars already there. Most of the scars on his arms had been self-inflicted in his aimless wanderings after they'd finally released, unlike the ones that marred his back and legs. How long had Malfoy said it had been? Eight years? He sighed and closed his eyes and he pressed the knife into the soft skin of his arm. Draco's voice echoed in his head, 'You can't run forever, Potter.'  
  
He smirked as he drew the knife across a second time. They had no clue what had happened, what that victory had cost. They'd lost so many - Dumbledore, Neville, Flitwick, and Sirius among them. There had been so many more, he was sure, but Sirius' death had hit him the hardest. One had haunted his nightmares and flashbacks often. It had been in December of his seventh year, Dumbledore had decided to have another Yule Ball to raise the students' spirits..  
  
//Flashback//  
  
"Harry, could I talk to you for a moment?" Lupin said over the noise of students filing out of the classroom.  
  
Harry stopped in the middle of his conversation with Ron and Hermione regarding the upcoming potions exams and turned to face his DADA teacher and godfather's husband. "Sure thing. I'll see the two of you at lunch."  
  
As Ron and Hermione left, Harry turned back to Lupin, "What is it?"  
  
Lupin smiled as he organized his books and notes, "Just thought you'd like to know that Padfoot's coming up for the Yule Ball. The Ministry relented and let him have the weekend off."  
  
Harry broke out into a grin, "Remus, that's great! Oh, wait till I tell Ron and Hermione! You have to make him wear dress robes too, I want him fully embarrassed!"  
  
Lupin smiled at the grinning boy, "Honestly, I don't know which one of you is worse sometimes."  
  
Harry simply grinned, "At least I have the cleaner record."  
  
With that, Harry ran down to the Great Hall to meet up with Ron and Hermione and tell them the good news. The past two years since Sirius' name had been cleared were wonderful. Harry no longer had to live with the Dursleys and shared a cottage with Remus and Sirius. The Ministry wasted no time in putting Sirius back to work, employing him once again as an Auror. Sirius' skills often put him in the front line and Harry would often join Remus for tea to calm down when they hadn't heard from Sirius in awhile.  
  
For Harry, the days until the Yule Ball flew by quickly and the next thing he knew he was letting Hermione straighten his robes.  
  
"It's not going to stay down," he said as he tried to push her hands away from his hair. He turned to face her and smiled, "Have I told you that you look beautiful today? Ron will fall over when he sees you."  
  
Hermione smiled as she smoothed down Harry's collar, "And I'm sure Ginny will love you as well. I should go see what's taking her so long-"  
  
"Flirting with my girlfriend, Harry? I thought stealing my sister was enough," Ron called as he came down into the common room, walking up to Hermione and giving her a peck on the cheek. "You look stunning, Hermione."  
  
Hermione blushed as she turned around and looked at Ron. "You look great yourself, Ron, but I should go see what's keeping your sister."  
  
Ron just looked up as Hermione rushed upstairs towards the girls' dormitories shouting Ginny's name.  
  
Harry turned to Ron, "I'm so glad Fred and George decided to get you a new set of dress robes for your birthday that were actually in a normal color. Considering the last ones they got you were that horrid turquoise."  
  
"Don't remind me, Harry. At least those didn't have the ruffles on them. Did you hear, Malfoy's apparently going to be wearing the family robes today, all frills included!"  
  
Harry and Ron broke out laughing at the thought of Draco Malfoy in lacey robes but they were quickly interrupted by Hermione's voice. "The least you could do is call him Draco. You know Dumbledore taught us that Draco's fighting on our side."  
  
The boys groaned simultaneously.  
  
"But he's Malfoy," Ron protested. "It would be like calling Snape Severus or something."  
  
"Besides," Harry added, "The day he calls me Harry, I'll call him Malfoy."  
  
"Sorry I took so long," Ginny called as she appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in pale blue robes.  
  
"Gin-"  
  
"Wow."  
  
"I told you guys she'd look beautiful," Hermione commented to Harry and Ron before turning her gaze back to Ginny. "You look wonderful. Now come on so these two can finally close their mouths and we can all get going to the ball."  
  
Ginny smiled as she came down the stairs and took Harry's arm. "Cat got your tongue, Harry?"  
  
"Gin, you look... beautiful..." Harry managed to get out as his green eyes took in Ginny's appearance.  
  
"Enough drooling boys. We're yours for the evening so let's go," Hermione said as she took Ron's arm and headed out of the Gryffindor common room. Harry offered Ginny his arm as the followed them out and towards the Great Hall, which was decorated as usual in a phenomenal fashion. Candles danced in the air as snow fell from the ceiling, sparkling and catching the light, giving the appearance of tiny crystals or diamonds. The four Gryffindors finally seated themselves at a table with Dean and Seamus as the feast began. Harry looked around for his godfather, but only saw Lupin sitting at the head table with an empty seat next to him. Excusing himself from Ginny and the others, he headed up to the faculty table.  
  
Lupin saw him coming and stood up, "Still no sign of him?"  
  
"What time was he supposed to get here?" Harry asked.  
  
"He told me he'd be here this afternoon, so that we'd have some time to- er..."  
  
"Right," Harry quickly answered before a worried expression crossed his face. "You don't think anything's happened to him, do you?"  
  
"Harry, this is Sirius we're talking about. The Ministry probably held him up on some last minute business, after all he's-"  
  
Lupin was cut off as the doors to the Great Hall flung open and a someone or something sent in a fireball to explode in the center, instantly catching the attention of all assembled and casting a silence over the entire room. Dumbledore rose quickly from his seat, wand at the ready, followed by all the professors. Fear gnawed at Harry's stomach as he pulled out the wand. He didn't want to fight, not here, not now. This was supposed to be special. Him and Ginny, Hermione and Ron, Sirius and Prof. Lupin - they were all supposed to be together at Hogwarts for the Yule Ball, enjoying themselves in Harry's last year.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Harry Potter," a chilling voice echoed unseen through the Great Hall with a cold laughter causing students and teachers to look around nervously for the source. "And may all your Christmases be bright!"  
  
Another fireball of some sort was launched into the room, dropping a dark object on the floor just in front of the head table, and there gasps from the students at some of the closer tables.  
  
'No!' Harry screamed mentally as he recognized that the lump on the ground was actually a person. It couldn't be. He ran over to the lump and vaguely heard Lupin running behind him. McGonagall called for them both to be careful and Dumbledore was dismissing the students to their houses under the care of their prefects. Harry fell down on the ground and pulled back the black piece of cloth before letting out a blood-curling scream. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
All movement stopped before Dumbledore's voice broke the silence once more. "All students will proceed to their houses led by their prefects. They are to remain there until further notice. I suggest you do this calmly and quickly."  
  
Hermione looked to Dean, the other Gryffindor prefect and he nodded, calling Gryffindor students to him before leading them towards the tower, leaving Hermione, Ron and Ginny standing in the Hall.  
  
"Siri..." Harry's voice softly called as the he ran a shaking hand along his godfather's battered face. The body was mangled almost beyond recognition, the defiant steel grey eyes and long black hair being one of the few characteristics that identified the corpse on the floor. And the tattoo. Remus gently pushed aside the black shirt on the body revealing the shoulder where a faint thin white scar was still visible underneath a complicated Celtic knot tattoo. Remus and Sirius had gotten matching ones when they had renewed their vows the summer after Harry's fourth year. Deep cuts ran down Sirius' face, revealing the muscles underneath. Dried blood matted the once soft hair and burns were visible over Sirius' body along with numerous broken bones. Sirius Black, head Auror of the Ministry of Magic, who had defeated numerous Death Eaters, survived and escaped Azkaban, was dead. The worst part was his eyes.  
  
Harry remembered that Sirius had once told him always watch your enemies eyes. They'll tell you what he's going to do, eyes are the windows to the soul. Harry bit his lip when he looked at Sirius' eyes, which were still open. They betrayed the pain and agony along with Sirius' characteristic defiance. Harry choked back a sob as he felt Lupin's arm around his shoulder. He was vaguely aware of people moving around him, but none of that mattered as he threw himself down on his godfather's body and began to sob. They had tortured and killed him, taking away one more part of Harry's family.  
  
//end flashback//  
  
Harry drew the switchblade across his arm again as he heard a noise. He looked around quickly to see a thin mutt from the street padding around on the rocks looking for food. He bit his lip. Every dog he saw reminded him of Sirius, and of the times in his third and fourth year when he'd snuck out to go see Snuffles. He clenched his eyes tightly and dug the switchblade deeper into his arm, trying to make the emotions go away. Damn Malfoy! Damn him for ruining it all! He'd gotten close to forgetting about all those times before things had changed, before the final battle had ruined everything. Before the torture had begun.  
  
He remembered the final battle like it was yesterday. There was no way he could forget because it haunted him constantly, nightmares and flashbacks, every time he closed his eyes, he saw it.  
  
//flashback//  
  
"Well, well, well, Harry Potter, we meet again," Voldemort said, chuckling as he pointed his wand at Harry.  
  
"It's over, Voldemort, you're army's destroyed and you're going to die."  
  
"Ah, dear Harry, always thinking so simply," Voldemort answered smiling. "CRUCIO!"  
  
Voldemort smiled as Harry's body went into convulsions and he screamed. "You don't understand, Harry. It never ends, I never end. Expelliarmus!"  
  
Harry's wand shot out of his hand and he was helpless to try and retrieve it while Voldemort kept the cruciatus on him. Great, now he had to face Voldemort without a wand. Focusing his energy he broke the cruciatus he was under and managed to throw a stupefy curse at Voldemort. Snape and Lupin had been teaching him how to use his magic without a wand as well during the last year as one of the various forms of preparation. The curse didn't knock Voldemort out but it did cause him to stagger backwards and drop his wand. The battle lasted for over another hour - the Dark Lord and the Boy- Who-Lived fighting each other with wand-less magic, which was draining them both. Harry wondered briefly where everyone else was and why no one else had come to help him out but figured it was one of Voldemort's tricks to guarantee a one on one battle between the two of them.  
  
"Don't you ever give up," Harry called from the ground after banishing Voldemort into a tree. "You've never been able to beat me!"  
  
"And you've never beaten me, Potter, so why should I bother giving up? I'm just waiting for you to slip."  
  
"And I'm waiting for an apology from you, so neither of us will get our wishes," Harry jibed as he gathered his energy as best he could. He would need it for this. "It ends now."  
  
With that Harry cast the final curse of the battle in a language that hadn't been spoken for thousands of years. It was a curse that had been forgotten about for the most part, and Harry had come upon it through sheer luck. The cursed destroyed any creature's body and soul - thereby eliminating Voldemort's possible comeback. There was a chilling scream as the curse hit Voldemort, and light surged through him before he fell limply to the ground. Harry stumbled backwards from the recoil of the spell and fell to the ground, spotting Voldemort's wand not too far away. Reaching for it, he snapped it in two, ensuring that it would not be used again.  
  
That was when all the trouble began. Three seconds after Harry's hand had touched Voldemort's wand, he felt the familiar tug through his bellybutton of a portkey and dread filled his mind. His last portkey experience with Voldemort had been horrible and he didn't expect any better this time around. He felt himself hit a solid stone floor and he winced from the impact as enchanted barbed wire wrapped around his arms and legs to restrain him. He struggled against the bonds and felt them tighten in response, the barbs digging in and drawing blood.  
  
//end flashback//  
  
That was when the torture had begun.  
  
It started out simple - whips and knives slashing and digging into his back, some unseen force controlling it all. And then came the hot oil, and flames, scorching him and making him scream louder, until he lost his voice and realized there was no point to screaming anyways. No one would hear him. And time dragged on in his giant windowless torture chamber with bread and water appearing before him every so often. His skin had started to grow around the barbed wire when the routine changed. A new variable was added to the torture - rape. The first time Harry was raped was the last time he ever screamed. After that, all the blood meant nothing. It dragged on for ever. Torture, rape, torture, rape, occasionally food and maybe even sleep, but never for two long. He did whatever he could to focus on remembering who he was and trying to escape. It got worse as time went on, each consecutive torture session causing more permanent physical and mental harm, weakening his resistance.  
  
He drew himself out of his thoughts by digging the switchblade deeper into his skin as the mutt padded over to him, investigating the scent of blood. Harry turned and looked at the dog before staring out at the ocean. Maybe he was holding onto nothing. But Malfoy had said - fuck Malfoy! Fuck them all! They hadn't rescued him when he needed it, they didn't know, they could never know what he'd endured, and what he'd done to survive afterwards. The Harry Potter they knew and loved died a long time ago.  
  
He stood up shakily, weak from the blood loss, and made his way out to the edge of the rocks. It would be better this way, easier. They'd find his body, and it would be over, once and for all. With that he jumped off the rocks into the angry surf, the white foam washing off the blood and the salt stinging at his wounds.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Yes, cliffhanger. I like them. Maybe a little too much. Cope and deal - or yell at me in reviews. Reviews are always appreciated - especially constructive criticism. If it doesn't make sense, let me know. This chapter may have been a little confusing, I'm sorry, but I didn't know how exactly to write it. Next chapter should be out relatively soon. Once again, thanks to all my reviewers and happy reading! (And happy new year and all that jazz). 


	4. Missing Professors

**Disclaimer**:  same as always, none of it belongs to me, except the plot bunnies. Harry and company belong to JKR, Warner Bros., Scholastic, and associates. Unfortunately, although I wish Sirius were mine.

Sweet and Sour Chapter Four – Missing Professors 

Meanwhile back at Hogwarts….

McGonagall reread the letter she had received from Draco five days ago. There had been no news since then and she was getting worried..  Thee students would be arriving tonight and she wanted Draco at the feast.  The sound of a bell brought her out of her thoughts as she realized it was the final staff lunch before the term began. She hurried quickly to the staff lounge when the house elves were serving a light lunch.

"Welcome, I'm sure we are all excited about the new term beginning tonight. However, before we begin, has anyone heard from Draco?"

Empty glances met hers and she sighed before continuing. "Very well then, as classes will commence tomorrow, I believe we should appoint an interim Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Severus, would you be able to take some of  his classes?"

"Of course."

"I'll take any classes that conflict with Severus'," Hermione said.

"Thank you, Hermione. That will certainly be helpful. Just because Voldemort has been defeated for some time, I do not believe that we should suspend Draco's classes in his absence. There is always a need to be prepared. Hermione and Severus, I'm sure you will be able to work out a schedule later today."

"Minerva?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"Might I ask where Draco is?" Severus asked, echoing everyone's thoughts.

There was a moment of silence as Minerva considered the question, feeling thee gazee of all the faculty on her. Taking a deep breath, she responded. "I do not know Draco's exact whereabouts at the present moment. I received an owl from him five days ago saying that he was held up in London on personal business. Since then, I have not heard anything,, however we shall proceed as normal."

"And what are we going to tell the students?" Ginny asked. "They'll noticee his empty seat at the feast."

"We will tell them what we know, that Professor Malfoy is away on business."

There was an uncomfortable silence before the faculty went back to eating their light lunch in silence as no one desired to make conversation after Minerva's announcement. Slowly, the professor's finished their lunch and left in silence, leaving Minerva alone in the lounge. She remained there for the majority of the afternoon, lost in her thoughts before a house elf popped in and reminded her that it was time to get ready for the feast.

McGonagall sat down at the head table, looking out over the returning students and waiting for Severus to lead the first year students in. As if on cue, the doors to the Great Hall opened and Severus led in two rows of petrified looking students. She smiled softly, trying to reassure them as Severus walked them up to the Sorting Hat and began the process. There were cheers from various houses as the first years were sorted. When the sorting was finished, Severus took his spot and there were some whispers about the empty chair at the head table. Minerva stood up and clinked her glass to get everyone's attention. 

"Firstly," she began, "I would like to welcome you to the beginning of another year at Hogwarts. A special welcome to all our new first years."

She paused for the applause that followed. "I'm sure some of you are wondering where Professor Malfoy is. He has unfortunately been detained on business in London. Professors Snape and Granger will be covering his classes until he returns. Also, let me remind you that there are to be no excursions to Hogsmeade or beyond the castle grounds except with the expressed permission of a professor. I believe that is all, so without further ado, let the feast-"

The side door being pushed in and a weary looking figure stumbling in interrupted Minerva. As the person approached the head table, she caught a glimpse of the distinctive blonde hair.  She walked over to meet Draco as he stumbled and gripped onto a chair.   
  


"Potter is alive," he said as he slumped down in his chair. Minerva gave a nod to Severus who went over and helped Draco off to the side room as there were astonished looks among the professors who had heard Draco's words. The students looked amongst themselves as they whispered theories about what had happened to their professor and what he had said that had prompted the sudden reaction among the professors. They fell silent as Minerva turned her attention towards them once more.

"It seems that Professor Malfoy has indeed returned, and hopefully will be well enough to teach his classes. I'm sure you will excuse me for going to speak with him. But, before it gets too late, let the feast begin!" 

There was cheering as Minerva told Hermione to take over and rushed out towards the side room where she found Draco wrapped in a blanket as he sat by the fireplace, sipping a cup of tea that Severus had gotten for him. 

"Draco, what happened? Are you allright?"

"I saw Potter. In London. Knockturn Alley to be exact. He was begging for money, Minerva. The wizarding world's hero was begging for sickles to eat. I've spent the past five days searching London and most of southern England for him. I barely recognized him, he's so scarred up and his eyes… Merlin, his eyes…"

"What happened? Where is he?"

"I don't know. We had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and then he had some sort of attack of sorts and fell to the ground, convulsing. Then he just ran out and disappeared. I don't know what happened. There were reports of a beggar in parts on London that matched his description, but he hadn't been scene in days. We still have his wand and Ollivander hasn't sold him a new one. So if he's using magic, I don't know how. And he wouldn't say what happened to him. He just made me promise not to tell anyone."

"Draco, did he say anything at all?"

 "Just that the wizarding world should forget about him and not to say anything. I don't know what's happened to him, but whatever it was, it changed him… he's like a shadow of a man."

There was a silence before Minerva spoke. "Why don't you get washed up and join us at the feast if you feel up to it. We can talk more about this tomorrow after you've rested a bit."

**Author's note:** This will be a Harry/Draco fic, so I didn't kill Harry in the previous chapter. The next chapter will deal more with what happened to Harry after he jumped off the cliff. Reviews are always appreciated and inspire me to work harder. I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out, but I was on vacation and my muses left as well. If you have any criticism/advice/suggestions for where this should go or how it's gone so far, please do let me know.


	5. Worse than a Hangover

**Disclaimer: **Like usual, I own nothing. Although if you let me borrow Harry and Draco,  or Sirius, I'll be good. I promise. ^_^ Alas, that only happens in my dreams. Harry Potter and company all belong to JKR, Warner Bros., Scholastic, etc. No copyright fringement intended, just the working of my muses and some plot bunnies we found under the bed. 

Cookies, chocolate, and sincere thanks go out to all my reviewers. You inspired me to crank out this chapter while riding the bus to the University (not an easy thing to do on a bus in Brazil). So, Draco huggles for all of you! You rock my world! 

Sweet and Sour Chapter Five – Worse than a Hangover 

Sweet Merlin, his head was pounding. He struggled to open his eyes against the bright light he could feel upon them, but decided it was fruitless. Light? What the hell? He distinctly remembered the blood and throwing himself off the cliffs. There was a dog though. Sirius… no… no… Sirius was dead, right… there had been a funeral… they were all dead… all just faded memories… dead… like him…

"How long has he been like this?"

"Dobby does not know, sir. Dobby found him three days ago while Master was away. Dobby does not know how long, sir. Dobby thinks he looks familiar."

Voices? Voices. Dobby.  He felt as though he knew that name from somewhere. Fingers gently touching his face. No, not his face, something on his face. Bandages. He could barely feel them through the layers, but he reckoned that was his cheek, then forehead, all covered. 

"Did he have anything on him?"

"No, sir. Dobby searched, but Dobby found nothing. No wand, no money, no papers. Dobby found him on the beach. Dobby knows master is a kind man and Dobby guessed master would not mind."

"You did the right thing, Dobby. I just wish we knew who he was."

Why did the voices sound so familiar? Was this what happened when you died? The last few moments, a hodgepodge of memories? Was this death? Was this a dream? But no, the pain felt real. So real and strong that he knew it was useless to try and move, or to attempt to open his eyes for that matter. 

"Master?"

"Yes, Dobby?"

"Dobby… sir… When Dobby found him, he… he had many cuts, sir… on his arms… Sir… Dobby… Dobby thinks perhaps he… he…"

"He tried to kill himself?"

"Hurt himself. Yes, sir. Dobby does not understand why a wizard would want to-"

"A wizard?"

"Yes, sir… Dobby knows. Dobby can feel. He is a wizard. Dobby does not understand why a wizard would want to hurt himself, sir. Dobby did find this, though."

What was this? What had this Dobby person found? Wait, why was there silence? What was going on? 

"Master? What it is master?  Has Dobby done something wrong?"

"No… no... Dobby has done well. This… I… someone I once knew once had something like this."

What? Couldn't they just tell him? He felt an onslaught of pain. Definitely not dreaming. Definitely not dead. Why did things never turn out the way they should? There were a few more minutes of silence before he heard two sets of footsteps leaving the room. He lay there for quite some time. Someone came and changed his dressings and tried to get him to drink something foul tasting. Foul tasting, yet familiar. Strange. The person left and he felt a cool breeze blow over him and the faint sounds of the waves crashing somewhere in the distance. It didn't feel quite so bright. Might as well try to open his eyes again. As he fluttered them open, he realized that one of them, the left, couldn't see anything, but felt something covering it. The other was still blurry. He could make out the bed he was on, a table, two chairs, a fireplace, windows, no, was that a door, leading outside. Slowly, he tried to sit up, but lifting his head just made it spin. Just wait a little. He closed his eyes. This was good. He turned his face to the breeze. That felt nice, yes, very nice. He let his eyes open again, or eye more like it, and let it focus on the curtain fluttering in the breeze. He tried flexing his fingers, feeling the bandages on them. He smiled weakly, at least he had done pretty well. He'd just have to finish it off later. Deciding to give it another try, he said up and screamed hoarsely at the pain that shot through his side as the spots flashed before his eyes, not noticing someone rushing into the room and gently laying him back down and giving him something to drink.

"You shouldn't be sitting up. Lie back down. That's it, take it easy. Rest."

Soothing words. Comforting. A hand pushing back his hair, it felt longer than he remembered. 

"That's it. Close your eyes. Just relax. There you go. The potion should ease the pain."

Potion? So confusing… memories that didn't fit. Missing pieces. He sighed, wincing at the pain that seemed to come from his ribs.

"I'm sorry about the pain. We can't really do much at the moment. Dobby went to go fetch a proper medi-wizard though. He didn't want to leave you alone while I was gone."

Dobby. That name again. Who was Dobby? He felt he should remember. Where was he? He felt the hand brushing his hair back again. Why did a simple thing like that feel so nice and yet hurt so much? He swallowed.  
  


"Are you allright? Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head no, wincing slightly at the movement and opened his mouth to speak. 

"What is it?"

"Who are you?"

**Author's Note: **Yes, I'm evil. Deal. I do have occasional benevolent days as well. Cookies and huggles to whoever guesses the identity of our mysterious friend. And special mention in the next chapter. I was toying with the idea of giving it away, but Rafi, one of my muses, decided against it and commandeered the keyboard. So blame him for the lack of closure/cliffhanger in this chapter. As for Dobby, I couldn't resist. He just popped in while I was on the bus. You know the deal, reviews good. And don't worry, I won't take too long with the next chapter, just enough until you get incredibly impatient. ^_^


	6. Identities Revealed

**Disclaimer: **Like usual, I own nothing. Although if you let me borrow Harry and Draco,  or Sirius, I'll be good. I promise. ^_^ Alas, that only happens in my dreams. Harry Potter and company all belong to JKR, Warner Bros., Scholastic, etc. No copyright infringement intended, just the working of my muses and some plot bunnies we found under the bed.

**Author's Note:** Didn't mean to scare you with the memory loss there, but hey if you've been unconscious for close to a week and probably bashed your head into some rocks, I'm sure you'd be a little disoriented at first, too. The death threats made me smile. And yes, I already knew I was evil for ending the chapter like that, but what can I say, I've always been bad. Anyways, cookies go to Jenzaquinn, Bingblot, Phoenix and Tiff for including the correct answer for our mystery friend. As for the other guesses – Draco was too obvious, and I hadn't even thought about Ron or Seamus or Dean. Good ideas though, will consider them in future chapters. ^_^

Sweet and Sour Chapter Six – Identities Revealed 

"Who are you?" His voice sounded weak and hoarse to his own ears as he repeated his question in the silence. 

"Remus Lupin."

Lupin. That name he knew. Gods, from where? If only the pain would go away, maybe he could think a little clearer. Remus Lupin. His past. This man knew his past, this man knew-

"Sirius…" 

It was little more than a whisper, but the other man's head turned quickly.  He heard the sound of fabric rustling and struggled to open his eyes, seeing the outline of the man sitting on the bed, framed by the soft light from the fireplace. He reached out a hand to touch the man. A gentle hand covered his own. 

"You should get some rest, we can talk more in the morning."

Harry nodded as his eyes fluttered closed and he yawned. Sleep seemed nice and whatever the man had given him to drink certainly made it come easier…

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Remus swallowed as he sat in front of the fireplace thinking about the man (boy?) currently lying in his bed. So frail, so weak, and yet he had spoken his lover's name. He fought back the tears as his hand went to his pocket which held the pocketknife found on the man engraved "To Harry, Happy 16th Birthday, Love Sirius." That was obviously where the injured man knew the name from. Probably found the knife somewhere. Harry could of lost it, it was feasible, if unlikely. A soft hoot interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see an owl fly in with a letter. He untied the letter and scratched the owl under its beak. Seeing the Hogwarts seal on the parchment, he quickly opened it and scanned the flowing script.

_Dear Remus,_

_I certainly hope you are doing well, as I have not heard from you in awhile. I cannot tell you how much we still miss your presence around here. Snape is wondering how the transformations are going and whether or not the new potion is helping more. The term has just started and we have had a bit of news. Make sure you are sitting down.  _

_Draco was in Diagon Alley on the 27th of August and says he saw Harry begging for money. Harry's forehead was incredibly scarred, as if someone had tried to do away with his scar. Draco had lunch with Harry, but they were interrupted when Harry had some sort of fit, perhaps a seizure or a flashback of some sort. Harry then ran out. Draco spent the next five days searching for him, but didn't manage to find him. However, he did find that someone of that description had been in the worse parts of muggle London recently. From what we can tell, he is somewhere in the south of England. _

_Remus, I know this is a hard and painful subject matter for you, but we would appreciate any assistance you might be able to lend. Also, it would help immensely if you could come up and join us this coming weekend at Hogwarts.  I haven't announced anything to the press yet, and I don't plan too, however we will be having a meeting with some of the members of the Order of the Phoenix and I would enjoy your presence there as well. Do take care of yourself, Remus, and I hope to see you this weekend. _

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

Remus stared at the letter as he pulled the pocketknife from his pocket and turned it over. He remembered picking it out with Sirius and Sirius being worried that Harry wouldn't like it. And now Harry was alive… Dobby had said the person looked familiar. Standing up, he walked back quietly into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, looking at the black hair sticking out from the bandages. Ruffling it gently with his hand he sighed as the eyes fluttered open. It was unmistakable. 

"Harry…" he whispered, not sure if he was ready for whatever response would be given. Swallowing, he ran a hand through the boy's hair. "Gods, Harry…"

"No…" came the weak response. "Not Harry, can't be Harry. Harry died."

"Sssshh…" he said gently as he felt the tears sliding from his eyes. Why did fate have to be so cruel? "Harry, it's me, Harry… it's Remus…"

"I can't… I can't… it's too hard. You're dead, you're all dead… dead… I'm dead…"  
  


"Sorry to disappoint you, but your not. You're alive, injured and weak, but alive. I'm alive too…" he said sighing. Please, respond. Let me know that my friend's son is still in there somewhere, he thought to himself. Don't let it have come to this. "Please Harry, talk to me. I lost James and Lily, Albus, so many others, but I lost Sirius, I lost the love of my life. But I had you, and then, not a year later, I lost you. Harry…"

"Remus?"  
  
Remus managed a weak smile. Harry's voice sounded slightly stronger now and he sensed a bit of recognition too. 

"Just rest, Harry. You need it."

"Remus… I'm sorry…"

"What? You have nothing to apologize for, Harry. Just rest," he said, running a comforting hand through Harry's hair. "We can talk about this in the morning."

"No… I… I'm not Harry… Harry died…"

Remus swallowed. "Then who are you?"

"Just no one."

Remus watched as Harry turned his head to the side.   
  


"Do you know how many times they killed Harry? They killed him once when the killed his parents, so that he would never know their love. They killed him when they killed Cedric, leaving Harry responsible. They killed him when they killed Sirius, his godfather, severing one more link to his past. They killed him when they killed Dumbledore, when they killed the others. They killed him when they took his body from the battle. They killed him when they tortured him, starved him, tried to take his spirit away. They killed him when they raped him, time and time and time again. They killed him when it ended, when he was thrust out into the world, a shell of what he once was. Remus, Harry is dead."

Remus swallowed. What could he possibly say to that? Raped and tortured? It was what he had feared. Part of him had hoped Harry had died instead of suffering and being tortured for Merlin knows how long. What could he possibly do to comfort the boy? His thoughts wandered back to Sirius and that fateful meeting in the Shack during Harry's third year. There had been no words to comfort Sirius then or in the years that followed before the appeal went through. And there could be none now. He eased Harry into his arms and hugged him, fighting the tears back. Here he was, the last of the Marauders, holding Harry in his arms, a Harry that didn't want to be found. He would take Harry to Hogwarts for the weekend, it would need to be done eventually. After all, he couldn't hide forever.

**Author's Note: **Truly sorry about the delay in getting this chap up. I didn't expect it to take this long, and I'm sorry about leaving you with the  previous cliffhanger. My  muse  left halfway through this chapter and the plot bunnies are multiplying w/out a muse. Very bad idea. Not to mention that I'm getting sick now. I'll try to get the next chap up. It'll have the long awaited Harry/Draco reunion and Harry/everyone.


	7. Don't Leave Me

Chapter Seven: Don't Leave Me 

Harry stood at the window watching the waves crash against the shore as Remus went around the cottage, packing some last minute clothes into a bag.

"Do we have to go?" Harry asked as he turned around to face Remus, playing with his bandaged arms.   
  


"Yes. I promise I'll be there with you throughout the whole thing and I won't let them force you to do anything you don't want to do. But we need to go, Harry. They know you're alive, they won't stop now until they find you. Best to ride out and meet them head on and all that," Remus answered, stopping his packing for a moment.

"You don't want to go either, do you? Then why are we going?" Harry asked, settling himself in a chair. "Make up an excuse, tell them something happened, you can't come."

"Do you want them to come here then? That would be much worse, I assure you. Come on, put on a cloak."

Harry sighed as he stood up and slowly limped over to where Remus was standing with the cloak. Letting Remus fasten the cloak around his shoulders and draw the hood up, he was grateful for the arm that wrapped around his waist for support. Three days had passed since their initial conversation but Harry was still weak. Remus had already hinted that Pomfrey could take better care of him at Hogwarts, and that it shouldn't take too long to get him fully healed. Remus didn't feel comfortable enough at healing spells to do very strong ones. He could walk around a little now, but his face and head were still partially bandaged, as were his arms. 

Remus gave Harry a concerned look as he pulled on his own cloak and picked up the bag, slinging the bag over his shoulder as he offered an arm to Harry. "Ready?"  
  
Harry nodded as Remus slipped his arm around him for support and they slowly made their way to the taxi out front. Remus had assured him that they would take the trip easily. The taxi would take them to London, from where they would take the train to Hogsmeade. A carriage was set to meet them in Hogsmeade. Harry settled in Remus' arms in the taxi and found himself drifting off to sleep. Remus had given him a Dreamless Draught to make the traveling easier. 

Harry awoke groggily to someone shaking him gently. He opened his eyes against the dim light to see Remus standing above him.  
  


"We're here, Harry," his adopted godfather softly spoke. Harry managed a small smile as he looked around, recognizing the Hogwarts carriage.    
  


"Do they know it's me?"

"No, I told them I was bringing one of my students along who I thought could benefit from Pomfrey's care."  
  
A sigh of relief escaped Harry as Remus helped him sit up, drawing Harry's hood up before he wrapped an arm around his waist and helped ease him out of the carriage.   
  


"Gently, there we go, easy does it."  
  
Harry was vaguely aware of Lupin's voice calming and reassuring him, but he leaned into his former professor for support as his eyes fluttered closed.  
  


"Professor Lupin!"  
  


"Hermione! What a pleasant surprise. Please do call me Remus. I stopped being your professor years ago," Remus said, trying to cover up the surprise in his voice and hoping that it wouldn't upset Harry too much. "I didn't know we were going to have a welcoming committee."

"Profess-, er, Remus," Hermione said as she gave Remus an awkward hug since he was supporting Harry with one arm and carrying their bag in the other. "You know Minerva would hardly do any less. And it's so good to have you here. It just feels better, like things are looking up."  
  
Harry stiffened and leaned into Lupin for support, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep up his strength much longer and that if Hermione spoke to him, he'd probably lose all semblance of control. Thoughts came unbidden to his mind. Memories of their first year right before he had gone to face Voldemort.   
_You're a great wizard, Harry_.  
  


"Is this the student of yours, Remus? He doesn't look too well. Should I get a stretcher for him?" Hermione asked with genuine concern.  
  


"That's quite alright, Hermione," Remus answered as Harry breathed a small sigh of relief. "I'll just go in and get him settled. I take it my instructions were followed?"  
  


"Of course, Remus. We have two adjoining rooms for you right off the infirmary. Will that do?"  
  


"That will do quite well. Thank you immensely."  
  


"Oh, it's nothing. It's just things have been so strange here. Draco left without notice and we were all so worried that something happened to him when he shows up worse for the wear in the middle of the welcoming feast. He seemed so distraught. He told us that he'd seen Harry, and you could just see the pain in his face when he recounted what happened…"

She's grown up, Harry thought to himself. Then again, she was always the most level headed and mature of the three of us. His thoughts floated lazily as he felt Lupin's grip on him increase and the conversation around him drift away. 

********************

"Remus, what in Merlin's name happened to this boy?" Poppy asked, the worry in her tone quite evident.

"He was a prisoner during the war. I don't know too much about that time because his own recollections are dim, but I do know he was tortured extensively – magically, physically, psychologically. And then last week Dobby found him beat up on the shore near my house. He had told me he was going sailing, he had an affinity for Muggle sports as well and apparently there was a storm. The ship was destroyed and we found him like this. As far as I could tell, there was severe trauma to the head and most of his body. He got pretty beat up against the rocks," Remus answered as he stood at the foot of Harry's bed. Harry had lost consciousness shortly after they'd entered the castle, so they had summoned a stretcher for him. Pomfrey was now assessing the extent of his adoptive godson's injuries as he absentmindedly twisted the gold ring he still wore on his finger from his marriage to Sirius. 

Werewolves mate for life, Siri. There's no going back.

Remus, you don't get it. I can't imagine a life without you.

He gazed sadly at Harry, watching as Poppy gingerly undid the dressings covering Harry's face and gasped.

"Remus…"

"You'll be able to heal him, won't you? At least the injuries from this most recent adventure of his? I did what I could, stabilized him as best I could and I was going to take him to St. Mungo's, but when I got the letter to come here, I thought this would just be simpler. Plus, I don't want him out of my sight."  
  


"Of course, Remus, I understand," Poppy said as she delicately touched Harry's face and head, assessing his injuries. "He's very lucky to have such a devoted tutor. It's obvious that his head hit the rocks quite a bit. Has he had any problems with his memory?"

Remus studied Harry's battered face which was still pretty badly cut up. "There was a little at first, although I reckon he was unconscious for the majority of it."

Poppy nodded. "There seems to be quite a bit of head trauma. I'm surprised he's recovered so well. As for his face, I can heal the cuts and bruises easily, although some of them are a bit deep. There seems to be layers of scarring underneath, which I won't be able to do anything about."

"Most of them are from the years he spent as a prisoner."

"That would explain it," Poppy said as applied some ointment to the wounds on Harry's face. "That should help heal them quicker. I don't want to use too many spells on his head, so it'll take a little longer."

She wrapped Harry's head with clean gauze as Remus watched sadly. Her concern was evident, and Remus knew that it would increase tenfold when she found out her patient's true identity. He had promised Harry he wouldn't say anything and he would stick to that promise; it was Harry's right after all. He looked up as Poppy fixed Harry's dislocated shoulder and broken arm before moving down to examine the wounds on his arms. Remus held his breath as she undid the bandages.   
  


"Remus, is this what I…"

"I'm afraid so, Poppy. I'm not quite sure when it happened…" he said, admitting only to himself that his statement was a lie. "If you could keep them wrapped up until they heal completely, I'd appreciate that. He's very self-conscious about them and I'd prefer that there were as few questions asked. Patient confidentiality and everything."

Poppy sighed as she wrapped them in clean gauze and moved on to Harry's ribs and torso in silence. It was another fifteen minutes before Poppy turned to Remus with a heavy expression. "That's all I can do for now, Remus."  
  


"Thank you."

"Remus," she said sighing. "His injuries are severe, I'm surprised he even regained consciousness. The scars are even worse. I think he'll recover from the physical injuries, but if he's already cut himself…"

"I understand, Poppy. That's one of the reasons I wanted him in an adjoining room. I've been worried about him," he said pausing. "Could you leave a Dreamless Draught? He's had nightmares and it would be most helpful."

"Certainly. I'll leave some of the healing ointments and a pain killing potion as well. For now, I think he'll sleep for awhile. Hopefully through the night. Remus.." she paused, trying to find the right words. "He´s going to need a lot of help, but right now, there´s nothing you can do. Why don´t you just go down to the feast?"

Remus sighed. He knew there wasn´t much he could do here and he couldn't let anyone know just how much Harry meant to him just yet. Taking one last look at Harry, who seemed to be resting peacefully, he turned to Madame Pomfrey. "Thank you again, Poppy. You're probably right. I'll just change my robes and head down there."

Poppy smiled as she headed back to the infirmary, leaving Remus to change. He took a final look at Harry and brushed the black hair out of the boy's hair before heading out to the hallway, oblivious that someone had been standing at the doorway. 

"Remus."

He looked up at the sound of his name to see Draco standing there. 

"Draco. How have you been? Let me take a wild guess - Minerva sent you up here since I hadn't come down to the feast yet."

Draco smirked. "You know her too well. How's your patient doing?"

Remus cast a quick glance into the room before closing the door and turning once more towards Draco. "Not as well as he could be. He's had a rough accident, but Poppy's doing all she can."

Draco nodded as the two of them started walking towards the Great Hall. "Minerva said he was a student of yours. I wasn't aware that you were still teaching."

"Tutoring, mostly," Remus answered, partially surprised at Draco's mannerisms, but then it had been at least five years since he'd seen him. He'd stayed active for a few years after the war, but then it had become too much without Sirius and Harry, so he had left for the country. "James is a student of mine. A friend of the family, so to speak. I've been in contact with him for a few years, so we're close-"

Draco smirked, "Close, eh? Just how close?"

Remus spun. "Gods, Draco. Is sex all you think about? Not in that way. Never."

Remus sighed. He would never have that chance again. Being a werewolf meant he mated for life. And his mate was dead. There was no mating again, just the heartache whenever he thought of his lover. And now his mate's godson was close to loosing it. He sighed heavily before remembering that Draco was still walking with him. "And you, Draco, settled down, yet?"

"No," he said with a hint of sadness. "There was the thing with me and Ginny for awhile, but it didn't work out. Dated a bit since then.... nothing too serious. You know how it goes. Well, we're here."

Remus nodded as Draco pushed open the doors to the Great Hall. It felt so strange to be back here. And they had all changed so much. He remembered teaching these children for the first time in their third year and now as he looked up at the head table, he saw adults and accomplished professors. Ron was sitting next to Hermione, their eldest child,* Rose,* sitting next to Hermione. He smiled as he remembered the numerous discussions of what to name her. Had it been a boy, the choice was Harry, but since it was a girl, they had trouble deciding. Lily had been a choice, but Hermione said she didn't feel quite comfortable with it. So they had named her Rose, in honor of Lily but without stealing the name,  even though Fred and George had put up quite a fuss. They'd wanted to name the child Winifred W. Weasley so that she would have the same initials as the twins booming business, WWW. Hermione had adamantly refused to give the child the same initials of the joke shop and Ron had retaliated by dying the twins' hair blue. His gaze flitted across the table. They were all there. All the key players who had survived the war were seated in the Great Hall. He saw that his seat was that of the normal DADA professor, next to Snape. Draco took a seat next to him. He glanced at Minerva and Hermione, positive that they had something to do with sitting him between two former Slytherins. He sighed. At least the banquet was a nice affair, he could relax slightly. The hard parts would start tomorrow when the discussions about Harry began. 

It was nearing two o'clock in the morning when Remus excused himself from the banquet, grateful that Severus had refrained from making a single comment about the Marauders. He headed up throw the hallways towards the hospital wing. A meeting was scheduled for tomorrow at noon, giving everyone plenty of time to sleep in. 

**Authors Note: Yes, this took forever to get posted. It's not even all of Chapter Seven, sad to say, but I've been stuck on the next part, so I decided to finally just post the first part of the chapter since I've made you wait so long anyways. Reviews, as always, are appreciated. **


	8. Don't Leave Me Part Two

**Chapter 7: Don't Leave Me (Part Two)**

Draco swept through the hallways with a manner vaguely reminiscent of his former head of house. He thanked the gods for the empty hallways as he made his way up towards the hospital wing. Stopping at a statue of a rearing lion, he tapped the lion's tail with his wand and watched as a set of double door appeared in the wall and opened up. Glancing around Remus' quarters, he didn't see the former professor anywhere in sight and was about to settle in an armchair to wait when movement from amidst the comforters on the giant bed caught his attention. Quickly crossing the room, he looked down to see a dark haired boy tossing about violently, as if caught in the throws of a nightmare. Gently, he tried shaking the boy, trying to wake him up. When this had little effect, he pulled out his wand and whispered, "Finite Incantatum."

He flinched slightly as whimpers and screams met his ears and he shook the boy harder.   
  


"Wake up. It's just a dream. Wake up."

Nothing could have prepared him for the shock that awaited him when the boy in his grasp opened his eyes. Realization dawned on Draco as he stared into those fathomless green eyes.   
  


"Harry…?" he asked weakly, swallowing to try to overcome the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. No, this bandaged and injured man in front of him couldn't be his former school enemy. He was too pale, too frail, and too weak. The Harry Potter he knew was stronger than this. Harry Potter had been begging for money in Knockturn Alley just a few weeks ago, he reminded himself. Draco lost himself in the frightened green eyes and knew.

_Watch their eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul._

_That your idea of a pep talk, Potter?_

_No, just the last words to me from a great hero._

Those were the last words spoken between them before they headed into the final battle, afraid yet confident, children fighting in a war where the lines between good and evil had blurred.

"Draco…"

Draco jolted out of his thoughts to look at the boy, no, the man whose shoulders he was clutching. He ran a hand through Harry's messy hair. 

"Sssh..." he said softly as he tried to calm the Boy-Who-Lived. "It's me. I'm not going to hurt you. Just calm down, relax…"

"It's hard for him to do that."

Draco glanced up to see Remus standing a few feet away, carrying his wand and a bottle of some sort of potion. 

"I came to get you for the staff meeting and…" Draco began.   
  


"It's alright," Remus said as he placed the potion down on the nightstand. "I see you took down the silencing spells.  
  


"Does he always put them up?"

"Yes," Remus said sighing. "Ha- er, James insists on them because of the nightmares. Says it's a precaution. I have a small countermeasure though, a little observation charm that lets me know if things get bad."  
  


"Ingenious, professor," Draco smugly replied as his eyes scanned Harry's body. 

"What happened?" he asked as his eyes looked up to the werewolf, not missing the look of fear that passed over Harry's face. 

Remus sighed as he glanced between Draco and Harry, waiting for Harry's small nod before speaking. "He was tortured and imprisoned during the war. The rest, well, Dobby found him washed up on the beach near my house."

Draco nodded as silence enveloped the room.

"Brilliant idea," he said finally and the other two faces turned towards him curiously. "Calling him by his father's name. Easy to remember and close enough to the truth."

"Draco…" Lupin spoke finally after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence had passed between them.

"I came to fetch you for the meetings. We're going to be discussing Harry and… I had wanted to tell you what I saw in Knockturn Alley that day. But now, knowing that Harry's here… what should I tell them?"

"I… I can't… Malfoy, please, don't…" Harry said as he looked up at Malfoy, his eyes pleading with the blonde.

"No more Draco?" Draco asked as he smirked at Harry.

"Please…" Harry begged weakly, his green eyes meeting Draco's silver ones in a desperate attempt to persuade the other man.

"Harry… you don't know what it was it's like, knowing you're alive. You don't know what it was like when they declared you dead finally. It-" 

"You broke your promise, Malfoy. I thought Malfoys never went back on their word," Harry said, slightly glaring at Draco.

"I had to, I went searching…"

"I know," Harry replied curtly, interrupting the blonde's explanation. "What part of give up did you not understand?"

"How could I, Harry? I never once believed in that Boy-Who-Lived crap, but there is one thing I believed in – you, Harry. When I would tease you, when Snape would take points, whenever something happened, one thing never changed – your eyes. They had this passion, this determination, this glare, like when you spotted the snitch and nothing, not even Voldemort himself, could stop you. And when I saw you in Knockturn Alley, I… that fire was gone… And I had to know why. What happened to kill that fire?"

Draco watched patiently as Harry lay there, apparently thinking this over before finally speaking, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Are you finished?"

"Yes," Draco said reluctantly as he sighed and resisted the urge to push the hair out of Harry's eyes.

"Good," Harry snapped tersely. "Then leave. Both of you. Please."

Draco stood up reluctantly after exchanging a glance with Remus, who nodded. Going to the door, he waited for Remus to join him.

"Take care of yourself, Harry," Remus said as he made sure that all the necessary potions were on the nightstand. "And remember, if you need me, you know how to reach me. The House Elves will bring you some food, and please, do try to eat a little." 

"I'll try. Now go. And have fun discussing me."

Remus forced a weak smile before going to join Draco. As they exited the chambers, Draco turned to his old professor. "Remus, what really happened?"

He watched as the werewolf took off his glasses and wiped them before finally answering. "We found self-inflicted wounds. How he ended up in the ocean, I can only guess. He told me that he was severely tortured. He still hasn't told me the exact details though."

"Does anyone else know?" Draco asked as they walked down the hallways. 

"No one. And it's to stay that way until Ha- until James says otherwise. Is that clear?" Remus asked in a slightly stern tone, meeting Draco's eyes.

"Perfectly," Draco answered as they headed towards the staff meeting room, aware of the somber yet anxious mood that hung over them. How to discuss what he saw in Knockturn Alley and the search for Harry when he knew that the Boy-Who-Lived was right here in Hogwarts. He glanced over at Remus to see the werewolf's blank face and sighed as the entered the staff lounge, preparing himself for what was sure to be an emotional meeting.

Author's Notes: You know the drill – read, review, comment, criticize, etc… Next chapter should bring all sorts of surprises and reactions – can the Boy-Who-Lived manage to hide his identity at Hogwarts? 


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